We All Seem to be Playing Something Different

I was doing some general internet surfing regarding roleplaying games this past week as well, and did some thinking on the subject. Popularity of the form in general seems to have continued to fall off steeply. I've heard from many sources that the future of the roleplaying market is PDFs, and I'm ultimately okay with that, though I'm old fashioned and still have a preference for physical books, given a choice. The real problem is the old critical mass question regarding quality GMs and players. It takes good GMs to create and maintain player interest, and it takes entertaining players to keep GMs interested in continuing. Where are those quality GMs and players going to come from when the player base is shrinking? Some of my favorite players no longer turn up at conventions, and a few of those told me the last time I'd seen them that the one or two good sessions they experienced each convention just weren't worth the three or four that weren't very good. Two of the best GMs I've ever seen don't run RPGs (at least not at conventions) anymore. I don't see the hobby going away entirely, but I could see it shrinking to the point where the participants are the same familiar faces at the same regional conventions, year after year.

The balkanized nature of roleplaying interests (and strong opinions associated with that fracturing) isn't helping, and I think that will have to change in some way as the market gets smaller. Once upon a time, if you were a roleplayer, you played D&D, and maybe one other game, two if you were adventurous. Now we all seem to playing something different and reluctant to reach across the breach due to increasingly strong personal tastes.

As for myself, I'll continue to GM as long as scenario writing keeps my creative interest and people keep showing up to play. But I don't see myself trying to write ahead the way I used to. I'll maintain my two con scenarios a year and probably a local campaign if there's interest, then put the rest of my creative energy elsewhere.